The Dickinson press., 1887-08-27
A Nl!ITLISTIC FAMILY.
AN AMERICAN TOURISTS INTERVIEW
WITH STUDENT svETLoFF.

Little Lady's Passionate and Revolu-
tionary Outburst-A Strange Kind of
Piano Music-Warnings of an Anxious
N1"ther-Put in Prison.
MY first visit was to student named Svet-
loft, found him in bed He received mo
very susliriousv, but after reading the letter
handed him he changed his tone and in.
vite' me to sit down. 1t was regular DWELL
ing of Il bachelor. The shoe brush lay at one
end of the room; books, pamphlets and
papers were scattered around the floor
shirts, collars, and various pieces Of clothing
occupied a number of chairs, and half
dozen empty wine bottles and glasses, rem.
nantS of caviar and cheese, left no free space
on the table. The host asked TO be excused.
He would not change his habits for mo-
mrit, he said, for anybody i'll the world, and
h" would feel sick and unhappy all day if he
neglected his toilet. y party of friends came
together i'll his room the night before and had
good time he added pointing at the empty
wine bottles. He spoke French, of course,
he readily excused mo for not having the
least knowledge of his native tongue.
a sturdy young fellow, servant, brought
in a huge tub and filled it with cold water. 1
arose to go, but Mr.. Svetloif kept me back,
saying need not feel uneasy and might CON
ster myself at home. He plunged himself
IN the tub, remained there for awhile and
then he proceeded to make up his toilet.
Finally, fresh and smiling, he reached me
his hand, Offering to become friends
AT noon we left his room to visit family
named Choutlzin, to whom also had a letter
of introduction. We wero received by a
young lady Of, striking beauty and ami
ability.
"l.ina Nikolayevna Choudzin," said my
Nihiistc friend, unccrcmoniously, introduce
ing us. She gave Inc her little hand, and q
sweet, happy Slnle beamed from her dark
blue eyes as She heard my name pronounced
Plainly dressed, with Il profuson of flowing
brown hair, rosy checked face and fault
less frame, she looked picture of grace and
| loneliness
$50 you are an Americana free born
American!" exclaimed the little lady. "4An
American tourist you are. / never saw an
American in my life. am glad they are SO
good looking. Mamma and we all will be
extremely happy to dine with an American
gentleman"
1t seemed as though the stream of words
from the mouth of my hostess would never
|
to return the compliment and to excuse my
self that | came just at dinner time. But the
young lady unceremoniu,lsly put my arm in
hers and usicred me into the parlor where
she introduced me to her mother, a venerable
Old litly, and then successvely to her three
brothers dinner party so merry l never
attended in my life. l felt myself perfectly
at home. Lima, who sat next to me, was
daslng i'll her witty remarks and pointed
| questions. Svetloff was sarcastic and spoke
always to the point. Tho old lady all the
| time sought to tame her tallative daughter,
calling her to order ut every bold question
She put. Tho young men-Lina's brothers
We're not less lnquisitive. Lima overwhelmed
me with questions. had to tell her what 1
knew about the social, political and economic
conditions of women in America, name her
our eminent female orators and champions Of
women's rights, our female writers, doctors
and cashiers our actresses aud other women
of fame, and explain our school system with
women rs distributors of knowledge and
light. She listened eagerly to my answers
and explanations, and, suddenly thanking
mo for the patience with which listened and
replied to her questions. she broke out with
her eyes sparkling, and ignoring the caution
ing appeals of her mother: "That is what we
don't have and want to have here. Are we,
perhaps, worse than your American womens
They nre queens, they enjoy life, indepen.
dence, llInrty we are slaves, doomed to eId
our lives in dungeons or Siberia
Svet'oT applauded the passionate out
burst, the young Choudzins ironically leaned
over tho :able to shake hands with their little
sister, while the mother, all confused, tried
to eArllsa her. "Lina is so forgctful," she
| enid f,n,. b<,, ,i,,,
day into trouble" SvctloT assured the old
| lady that was an American, not Il member
of the imperial detective force who would
give her daughter away. Nine. Choudzn
Indignantly replied that she did not entertain
such an idea for n moment, and, addressing
herself to me, she ndded SIN Russia people
have become so guurdcd'-- She did not
end her sentence, for suddenly strange sounds
Of music coming from the open door of the
drawing room, flied the air. | looked back
| and saw Lima sitting at tho piano. How
wonderful was her music! Never before had
heard II combination of sounds with such a
singular, bizarre, now complaining, now
cGressng, md almost moaning color of tune
Now she dragged and prolongei the measure
so that it sounded like the moaning of the
wind; but then she tumbled and hurried it,
making ne think that | was listening to q
caturuct of tones. felt puzzled aud capti-
waited, but at the same time enjoyed the
music. Slowly the wrath or passion of the
fair pianist subsle., the music assumed a
certain color of calmness, and the tones began
to hop on the key board like ignes fatu over
a stagnant surface of a lake.
remained with the Niliistic faniy-for
all, even the old lady, entertained ievolu-
tionary ideas-untl lute in the afternoon.
Svetlotfs honest face Frightened more and
more during the flow of his eloquence.
Linus father, he said, was a colonel in the
Russian army. He died at Plevna during
the last Russo Turkish war, leaving his fam
lily in good circumstances. Besides, the old
lady was pe,sioned by the government.
Linas sister, genial young lady, died in
cell at the fortress Of st. Petersburg, with
er she had been sent for athiiation with the
Nihlistic movement. Lima herself, though
girl of 90 years, had already also had an op-
portunity to inhae prison air. She had OBJ
tained the position Of a teacher in q village,
and because she dared to overstep the limits
prescribed by the government, because she
taught the peasant boys and girls not only
to read and write, but told them stories from
ancient aud modern history she was s,,s-